*arr stack aka the most useless shit to ever exist

@bogdan@arachnid.town cc @hor32

@bogdan@arachnid.town rutracker my beloved

@bogdan@arachnid.town Maybe I should get into piracy sites. I would like to get more FLACs (aka very-high-quality music), but downloading music off of Youtube means I only get lower-quality OPUS/MP3 music.

@radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @bogdan@arachnid.town
For music I recommend using rutracker.org and nicotine+ (sooulseek client)

@radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @bogdan@arachnid.town
I can help you navigate it and make an acc cuz rutracker is all in Russian and I know a fair bit. They got great music releases on there like whole discographies in FLAC and stuff.

@bogdan @dushman Neat! I’ve been wanting “CAN! CAN! CAN!,” by Cosmos on FLAC because of course I wanna listen to one of my favorite albums on one of the highest-quality media formats, but either it’s on vinyl and I don’t wanna invest in vinyl or it’s on Youtube which is lower quality

@radmin @bogdan @dushman opuses from youtube aren't exactly trash quality. vinyl certainly has its own artifacting as well.

@icedquinn@blob.cat @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @bogdan@arachnid.town
yt audio bitrate is 192kbps tops so it is kinda ass

@dushman it and soulseek are the best

@bogdan@arachnid.town true I use slsk as well

@dushman @radmin @bogdan opus bitrates are like double MP3, and 360kbps MP3 is sold as perceptually lossless.

This isn't like AAC where all the encoders are shit but Apple's

(The flacs are still worth collecting since they aren't unreasonably large and we might get a new codec somewhen, it's not like video where one movie would take up an entire drive each)

@icedquinn @radmin @bogdan

opus bitrates are like double MP3, and 360kbps MP3 is sold as perceptually lossless.
What? YT audio is 192kbps on opus.
360 kbps MP3 is sold as perceptually lossless
Not true.

@dushman @radmin @bogdan

> What? YT audio is 192kbps on opus.

yes, and? a 64kbps opus is roughly equivalent to a 128kbs mp3. it's a stronger codec, it makes more effective use of the bits.

@icedquinn@blob.cat @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @bogdan@arachnid.town
Yeah Opus is more efficient but a CD rip in FLAC will sound better than 192kbps Opus, if you have good enough gear that is.

@icedquinn@blob.cat @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @bogdan@arachnid.town
Wasn't sure what you were talking about at first lol, ik it's more efficient than mp3.

@icedquinn@blob.cat @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @bogdan@arachnid.town
bitrate and compression efficiency are two completely different things

@icedquinn @radmin @bogdan

360 kbps MP3 is sold as perceptually lossless
Not true.
Well unless you have shitty gear then you may not be able to tell the difference between that and a CD rip in FLAC

@dushman @icedquinn@blob.cat @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @bogdan@arachnid.town the real problem with opus vs mp3 or flac is that opus was designed for speech not music so even at a high bitrate encoded directly from a flac, the range is trash in comparison, you can hear the difference very clearly vs an equivalent hq mp3 on any even remotely decent pairs of headphones. it works perfectly fine for what like youtube and shit use them for or casual listening but if you actually are caring about audio quality in music opus should go straight into the trash. it will always have a noticably duller sound to some degree. could just be audiophile placebo given what the ranges are exactly but i digress

@m @icedquinn@blob.cat @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @bogdan@arachnid.town
Well I don't use opus for any music I have so I wouldn't have known lol. I have the vast majority in FLAC with a tiny bit in 320k mp3, AAC and ALAC.

@snacks@netzsphaere.xyz @m@hollow.raccoon.quest @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @icedquinn@blob.cat @bogdan@arachnid.town
Oh yeah you're right, it has two separate ones you reminded me. Mumble for example uses Opus speech by default.

@m @dushman @radmin @bogdan opus was indeed designed for music what are you talking about

its virtually indistinguishable from AAC in blind sound tests in all things but really specific forms of classical music and bat hearing

@icedquinn@blob.cat @dushman@hollow.raccoon.quest @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @bogdan@arachnid.town i dont listen to enough aac to draw a comparison there, i think i have maybe 2 or 3 niche apple music rips in it?

@m @icedquinn@blob.cat @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @bogdan@arachnid.town
AAC is more efficient than mp3 also not an Apple exclusive thing. Like if you're gonna make your own lossy encodes then it's better to use it than mp3.

@m @icedquinn@blob.cat @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @bogdan@arachnid.town
I think Opus is more efficient still though

@dushman @icedquinn@blob.cat @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @bogdan@arachnid.town i havent played around much with aac and i dont really care to. in the scheme of modern computing an mp3 320k is still tiny enough and i know it works and a well encoded one generally i can't tell a difference from a decent flac rip in my headphones so that's all i care about

@m @icedquinn@blob.cat @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @bogdan@arachnid.town
I got Bayerdynamic DT 770 Pro headphones and a fiio k5 pro dac/amp combo, and I can definitely tell the difference. If you're using cheapo headphones then yeah probably won't be noticeable.

@dushman @icedquinn@blob.cat @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @bogdan@arachnid.town i'm gonna keep using my expired patent codec thank you very much fosstard. all the music on my phone is converted by ffmpeg to from flac to mp3 320k and its a tiny tiny miniscule amount of space there's literally no reason to compress it further, considering i'm not using good headphones on my phone i might as well go 192k or 128k if i wanted to do that anyways, no?

@m @icedquinn@blob.cat @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @bogdan@arachnid.town
I don't care about the patent part I also use mp3 lol

@m @icedquinn@blob.cat @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @bogdan@arachnid.town
I could do a test myself by encoding opus and mp3 with the same bitrate on a couple different songs from a FLAC CD rip source. Kinda curious how it stacks up and I have good enough gear to be able to tell a difference.

@dushman @icedquinn@blob.cat @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @bogdan@arachnid.town damn that's pricy shit. i been rockin audio technica m20x atleast until like 2017/2018 now and even i can tell the opus/mp3 difference i dont know about aac/mp3 though havent tested again. most my computers and my phone have more than fine dac like the builtins are rarely so bad but my current netbook i bought out of desperation has an atrocious one, main issue is its quiet as fucking i regularly find myself at full volume on this thing. but it is what it is, i just wish my thinkpad didn't shit itself

actually i have had two pairs of m20x, the first one my cats as kittens destroyed it in a way that just wouldn't seem to work again after repair for some reason, the second is this pair which i had to repair ones relatively recently but it was quite easy, cable broke off in the ear basically

@m @icedquinn @radmin @bogdan

audio technica m20x
Those are good bang for the buck when it comes to budget headphones. I’ve tested those myself.

@m @icedquinn@blob.cat @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @bogdan@arachnid.town
I have the 250 ohm variant of DT 770 Pro so no internal DAC could even drive them lol

@dushman @radmin @bogdan @m the correct way to do such things is blind testing https://lsp-plug.in/?page=manuals§ion=ab_tester_x8_stereo

i use this sometimes (like when i was comparing webcam and conference mics) because you can put the candidates in their own ardour tracks, feed each track to it, and the button to experiment will change all the names to 'random #' and shuffles them in the list. you click one to listen to, rate it, and when you unblind the experiment it puts them in the original labels and positions but keeps the ratings you gave it

they do things like this in those labs to prove when something is indistinguishable or better without the biases

@dushman i heard it's good, might get the 80 ohm variant to replace my broken m40x
@radmin @icedquinn @bogdan @m

@m @icedquinn@blob.cat @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @bogdan@arachnid.town
I got them used in very good condition and just replaced the pads. Got the Fiio k5 pro dac/amp new tho. Still you'd need to spend like ~350-400$ total so kinda expensive.

@getimiskon@fedi.getimiskon.xyz @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @icedquinn@blob.cat @bogdan@arachnid.town @m@hollow.raccoon.quest
If you're gonna use them with an internal DAC then don't bother tbh

@dushman i thought the 80 ohm variant is supposed to work on most devices, unless i'm mistaken
@radmin @icedquinn @bogdan @m

@getimiskon@fedi.getimiskon.xyz @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @icedquinn@blob.cat @bogdan@arachnid.town @m@hollow.raccoon.quest
Some lower power internal dacs may not be able to drive that. I mostly meant the audio quality tho, get the 250 ohm ones and a good desktop DAC/AMP otherwise it's not really worth it. Internal dacs tend to suck ass lol.

@dushman i wish i could afford it, but i can't. As for internal DACs, i know, but i can't do much. Maybe if i get something that is affordable enough, i'll consider it.
@radmin @icedquinn @bogdan @m

@getimiskon@fedi.getimiskon.xyz @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @icedquinn@blob.cat @bogdan@arachnid.town @m@hollow.raccoon.quest
If you want good budget headphones get like audio-technica ATH-M20x internal dacs will drive those just fine

@getimiskon@fedi.getimiskon.xyz @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @icedquinn@blob.cat @bogdan@arachnid.town @m@hollow.raccoon.quest
They cost like 60 euro and they sound p good for that price. If you want better bang for the buck though you can get IEMs around that price that will sound better than those headphones.

@getimiskon@fedi.getimiskon.xyz @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @icedquinn@blob.cat @bogdan@arachnid.town @m@hollow.raccoon.quest
Moondrop has some really good IEMs in that price range

@getimiskon @radmin @icedquinn @bogdan @m
I made a review of Moondrop May IEMs which do sound better than those headphones I mentioned. They cost around 70 euro and have their own built in dac specially tuned for them.

@dushman i already have the M40x and the sound is alright. But the build quality is shit and one of the hinges broke on me. Also i hate fake leather. That's why i want to replace those.
@radmin @icedquinn @bogdan @m

@getimiskon@fedi.getimiskon.xyz @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @icedquinn@blob.cat @bogdan@arachnid.town @m@hollow.raccoon.quest
Well look at the review of the Moondrop May I quoted. They will sound better than M40x as well. Also better build quality lol they feel really nice and sturdy. Around 70 euro so like you should be able to afford them.

@getimiskon@fedi.getimiskon.xyz @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @icedquinn@blob.cat @bogdan@arachnid.town @m@hollow.raccoon.quest
cc @kaia@brotka.st Did you buy them?

@getimiskon@fedi.getimiskon.xyz @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @icedquinn@blob.cat @bogdan@arachnid.town @m@hollow.raccoon.quest
They look really nice imo

@dushman Just so you know, they aren't black and white. They're a safe set for those looking for a hybrid IEM, and its value is insane with that DSP cable.

@radmin @icedquinn @getimiskon @bogdan @m

@dushman sure, they are affordable, but i just don't like IEMs that much. I prefer using headphones.
@radmin @icedquinn @bogdan @m

@thatbrickster @radmin @icedquinn @getimiskon @bogdan @m
Yeah I have been using them a lot and I’m definitely satisfied. Check out the review I made.

they aren’t black and white
wdym

@dushman 70 Euro is a tad much to me, but still worth getting.

>wdym
I hadn't realised you already had them. I was pointing out the lighting from that photo, they are silver on both sides but with a tasteful pattern. I'm not a waifu PDF file person though.

@radmin @icedquinn @getimiskon @bogdan @m

@getimiskon@fedi.getimiskon.xyz @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @icedquinn@blob.cat @bogdan@arachnid.town @m@hollow.raccoon.quest @thatbrickster@shitposter.world
They are super comfy imo, more than most others I have tried. Personal prefernce tho ig. I use my headphones at my desk and IEMs elsewhere.

@dushman Awesome. What other IEMs do you have, and what are your sound signature preferences?

@radmin @icedquinn @getimiskon @bogdan @m

@dushman yeah, they might be good. Although these specific ones aren't what i need. Mostly because of the USB-C connector. Not all my devices have one, especially my computer where i do most of my stuff, but all of my devices have a 3.5mm audio jack output.
@radmin @icedquinn @thatbrickster @bogdan @m

@thatbrickster@shitposter.world @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @icedquinn@blob.cat @getimiskon@fedi.getimiskon.xyz @bogdan@arachnid.town @m@hollow.raccoon.quest
I'll list the ones I own but I have tried more. I prefer a balanced sound signature with maybe a tad emphasis on the bass.
TinHifi T2 DLC
Moondrop May
Moondrop Chu II
TRUTHEAR x Crinacle ZERO:RED
Also I have Bayerdynamic DT 770 Pro 250 ohm paired with a Fiio K5 Pro Dac/Amp for my desktop setup.

@thatbrickster@shitposter.world @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @icedquinn@blob.cat @getimiskon@fedi.getimiskon.xyz @bogdan@arachnid.town @m@hollow.raccoon.quest
The Mays are quite balanced btw

@getimiskon @radmin @icedquinn @thatbrickster @bogdan @m

especially my computer
Dawg USB A to C adapters exist. This is just standard USB audio and will work on literally anything that supports USB audio.

@dushman @thatbrickster@shitposter.world @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @icedquinn@blob.cat @getimiskon@fedi.getimiskon.xyz @bogdan@arachnid.town @m@hollow.raccoon.quest you know a man is dead serious when he pulls out a graph

@hor32 @thatbrickster@shitposter.world @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @icedquinn@blob.cat @getimiskon@fedi.getimiskon.xyz @bogdan@arachnid.town @m@hollow.raccoon.quest
Yeah lol. Bit of emphasis on the low end which I like but it's tasteful and not overdone.

@dushman i don't really want to use adapters, also most of my USB ports are already occupied by my mouse and my microphone, so it's not really an option for what i need. Sure, an external DAC would require a USB connection, but using an external DAC isn't a priority.
@radmin @icedquinn @thatbrickster @bogdan @m

@dushman @thatbrickster@shitposter.world @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @icedquinn@blob.cat @getimiskon@fedi.getimiskon.xyz @bogdan@arachnid.town @m@hollow.raccoon.quest it looks very well tbh

@dushman Check you out! I've been around a bit since I started in 2017 but here's what I have:

Simgot EA500, Simgot EW200, 7Hz Sonus, Tangzu Fudu, Artti T10, CCA Trio, Celest Wyvern, Truthear Zero (OG), XSL X-One LM (mk.4), Tanchjim One (DSP), and the Tanchjim Tanya.

What about sources?

@radmin @icedquinn @getimiskon @bogdan @m

@getimiskon@fedi.getimiskon.xyz @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @icedquinn@blob.cat @thatbrickster@shitposter.world @bogdan@arachnid.town @m@hollow.raccoon.quest
Slap an expansion card in there or like hub if it's a laptop

@thatbrickster@shitposter.world @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @icedquinn@blob.cat @getimiskon@fedi.getimiskon.xyz @bogdan@arachnid.town @m@hollow.raccoon.quest
Fiio k5 Pro sometimes I also use it for the iems and Fiio BTR5 which is the portable one

@hor32 On the contrary. Measurebators like KZ exist so they can shill stuff that isn't actually any good.

@dushman @radmin @icedquinn @getimiskon @bogdan @m

@dushman i don't want a hub and more USB ports, i just want headphones with 3.5mm jack, and i don't care if the sound is shittier
@radmin @icedquinn @thatbrickster @bogdan @m

@thatbrickster@shitposter.world @hor32@hollow.raccoon.quest @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @icedquinn@blob.cat @getimiskon@fedi.getimiskon.xyz @bogdan@arachnid.town @m@hollow.raccoon.quest
KZ sucks yeah lol

@thatbrickster@shitposter.world @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @icedquinn@blob.cat @getimiskon@fedi.getimiskon.xyz @bogdan@arachnid.town @m@hollow.raccoon.quest
Also CCA CRA+ forgot that one

@thatbrickster@shitposter.world @hor32@hollow.raccoon.quest @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @icedquinn@blob.cat @getimiskon@fedi.getimiskon.xyz @bogdan@arachnid.town @m@hollow.raccoon.quest
Had KZ ZS10 Pro and they fucking died a year and a half wouldn't recommend. Never buy anything from KZ.

@dushman Boy, I have a list just as long:

NotByVe Avani and Abigail, VE Odo, Fiio JA11, Artti i01, Moondrop Dawn Pro, HiBy FC3 and FC4, and the 7Hz 71. I used to have the FiiO K1, Q1 and E10k, but sold those years ago.

@radmin @icedquinn @getimiskon @bogdan @m

@dushman @thatbrickster@shitposter.world @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @icedquinn@blob.cat @getimiskon@fedi.getimiskon.xyz @bogdan@arachnid.town @m@hollow.raccoon.quest RIP

@dushman Only KZ set I've ever recc'd is the CCA Trio. $20 yet punches up.

@radmin @icedquinn @hor32 @getimiskon @bogdan @m

@dushman Afraid not, CCA is a KZ sister brand. Kiwi Ears and Thieaudio are Linsoul though.

@radmin @icedquinn @hor32 @getimiskon @bogdan @m

@thatbrickster@shitposter.world @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @icedquinn@blob.cat @hor32@hollow.raccoon.quest @getimiskon@fedi.getimiskon.xyz @bogdan@arachnid.town @m@hollow.raccoon.quest
I got CCA CRA+ from them. Weird how the sister brand is better overall lol.

@dushman CCA usually drop what later gets rebranded as KZ. The CCA Trio is the KZ Vader, for example. They both have Tyvan Lam as the PR guy, he deserves to be sacked.

@radmin @icedquinn @hor32 @getimiskon @bogdan @m

@thatbrickster@shitposter.world @hor32@hollow.raccoon.quest @radmin@limepeeps.perchinup.top @icedquinn@blob.cat @getimiskon@fedi.getimiskon.xyz @bogdan@arachnid.town @m@hollow.raccoon.quest
Graphs aren't everything ofc but the Moondrop Mays have a sound signature that hits the spot for me